Envelop-machine.



H. Y. ARMSTRONG.

ENVELOP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l2, 19x1.

1 ,269,672. I Patentedjune 18, 1918.

A TTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY Y. ARMSTRONG, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SEALING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELOP-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed November 12, 1917. Serial No. 201,601.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Y. ARM- STRONG, a citizen of the United States, and

be so supported that an end envelop of the stack may be successively withdrawn and means to successively withdraw the end envelop of the stack, together with means intended to prevent others than the end envelop from being carried with the latter as it is withdrawn. The problems to be contended with in preventing more than one envelop from being withdrawn at a time arise from two causes. First, the frictional engagement with the end envelop of the remainmg envelops of the stack is such that the end envelop tends to carry one or more of the others therewith. Second, the machine, in order to be of general commercial utility, must be capable of successfully handling envelops of special character, aslthe window and penny saver envelops and other modern types. With envelops of such special construction, much difliculty is encountered due to the fact that the flap of the envelop adjacent the end envelop catches in the window of the latter and is carried therewith. The present invention seeks, among other things, to overcome these difliculties.

An object of theinvention is to provide, in an envelo machine, generally improved mechanism or successively separating envelops from the stack, to the end that envelops of varying and special character and of varying dimensions, particularly thickness, may be successfully handled.

Other objects and advantages will appear ,in the following description and will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

The invention, in an embodiment at present preferred, is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of a sealing machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken similarly to Fig. 2 but showing a difierent relative positioning of parts; 1 Fig. 4 is a perspective view. showing in detail a part of the receiving magazine; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the yieldable keepers for the receiving magazine.

Referring to these drawings, the invention has been illustrated and will be described herein as embodied in an envelop sealing machine of the type disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 174,138, filed June 11, 1917. The invention may, obviously, be embodied in machines of other types, and the present disclosure is merely an illustrative example of one operable type with which the invention may be employed.

The frame of the machine is indicated by reference letter A and comprises spaced side members and parts transversely connecting these members. Rotatably mounted in frame A to turn on a horizontal axis are upper and lower sealing rolls 8 between which envelops e are successively passed. Rolls 8 may be driven in any suitable man ner (not shown), for example, as illustrated in the above-identified application. Also rotatably mounted in frame A but turning on a vertical axis is a moistening head or disk It, the function of which is to intermittently engage the gummed portions of the flaps of envelops e and moisten them prior to their-passage between rolls 8. The construction and operation of the moisten ing head is more particularly pointed out in the above-named application, to which reference is made for a more complete dis closure.

The receiving magazinefor envelops 2' comprises two laterally-spaced side plates 10 and two relatively-short rear guide plates 11, one of which is shown in Fig. 4 as removed from themachine. The plates 10 have upwardly and forwardly turned portions provided with inturnedflanges 13 to engage the front edges of the envelops e, and the rear guides 11 are flanged, as shown in Fig. 4, to rest upon the rear parts of plates 10. Guides 11 are adjustably held to the latter by screws 14, which are movable in suitable slots in plates 10, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the guides may be latter is wit moved to and from the flanges 13 to accommodate envelops of various widths. The plates 10 are slidably mounted on a crossrod 15 secured to frame A and may be held to the rod in various positions of axial adjustment thereon by set-screws 16, whereby envelops of varying lengths may be accommodated. The rear guides 11 have, at their lower ends, inturned portions 17 which extend toward rolls 8 to supportthe lowermost envelop 6 along its rear edge, as best shown in Fig. 2. The lowermost envelop e is supported along its forward edge by a plate 18 which extends transversely across frame A and is suitably secured thereto. The central portion of member 18 is bent downwardly to permit the flap e of the lowermost envelop to open as indicated it.- Fig. 2, and to further assist in opening the flaps e the envelops are so supported that they incline downwardly toward the' sealing rolls 8.

The described flange 13 for engaging the front edge of envelops d is cut away near the lower part of plate 10 to permit envelops to be delivered from the magazine to the sealing rolls 8 and, near the forward lower part of the magazine, improved means are provided to restrain all but the lowermost envelop of the stack from forward movement. These means comprise brushes 19 (Figs. 2 and 5) which are mounted on a cross-bar 20 to slide with a suflieient amount of friction thereon so that they remain in any of the positions to which they may be moved. Bar 20 extends transversely across frames A and'is mounted thereon for vertical adjustment. The ends of bar 20 have slots 21 therein (Fig. 5) to receive retaining screws or bolts 22 (Fig. 1), which hold the bar to the frame for vertical adjustment in an obvious manner. The frame of each brush 19 has a backing late 23 secured thereto, which extends ownwardly and terminates at a distance from the lower ends of the brushes substantially equal to the thickness of the thickest envelop which would ordinarily be handled in the machine. Thefunction of plates 23 is to prevent a plurality of envelops from engag ing the brushes, if by any possibility envelops other than the lowermost of the stack are carried with the lowermost envelop by frictional engagement therewith when the drawn, as will be'described. The brushes 19 are adjusted by raising or lowering bar 20, so that their lowermost portions are spaced from plate 18 a distance only slightly less than the thickness of the envelop. Thus, only a slight, although eflective, reslstance is presented to the lowermost envelop as it is withdrawn from the magazine. The bristles of the brushes yield as the envelop is pushed forwardly and therefore little effort is required to move the envelop, as distinguished from that required when rigid kee ers, which have to e cammed upwardly y the envelop, are used. With the described structure, the envelops, all except the lowermost, are effectively restrained, but the restraining action is accomplished without any possibility of injuring the envelop.

The means for successively withdrawing envelops from the receiving magazine will next be described. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, slidably mounted On a pair of spaced rods 25 secured in parallel relation to frame A is a carriage 26 which is reciprocable by a connecting rod 27 which is actuated from a crank-shaft 28. The latter also serves to rotate the moistening'head h and has a gear 29 for connection with a suitable source of motive ower. Secured to and extending forward y from carriage 26 are a pair of spaced parallel blades 30, of thin material, which blades are movable just above the upper surface of the head it and are guided in a circumferential groove 9 in the latter.

The blades 30 engage between the body of the envelop e and the gummed flap 2 thereofand transfer the envelop to the sealing rolls.

Mounted on each blade 30 and longitudinally adjustable thereon (see Fig. 1) is a finger 31, the forward portion of which forms a cam 32 (see Fig. 2). The distance between the forward end of each blade 30 and the toe of the cam 32 thereon is made substantially equal to the width of the envelop (2. Thus, as the forward edges of blades 30 engage the lowermost envelop e,

the rear edge of the latter will be sl'bstanv tially at the toe portions of cams 32. The lowermost envelop cannot therefore be moved by the cam, for after the engagement.

of the blades 30 with the lowermost envelop, the latter, blades 30 and cams 32 move together in the same relative positions. will be apparent, however, that as the blades 30 move to the ri ht to carry the lowermost envelop e to t e sealing rolls, the cams 32 will engage that envelop next above the one being withdrawn and, on continued movement, will lift such envelop, and the stack supported thereby, along their rear edges, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The cams Itv 32 have the function of ogging the en- I velops in the stack, and such action is useful in assisting downward movement of the envelops in the magazine. The more important function of these cams is, however,

' appears in the preceding description.

An important feature of the invention consists in the arrangement of the brushes 19, which ordinarily prevent all but the lowermost envelop of the stack from passing from the magazine. The brushes supply just the requisite resistance to each envelop to retain it in the magazine, but readily yield to permit the end envelop to be re moved by the blades 30. It is important to note that the envelop does not have to perform any considerable amount of work 1n order to pass the brushes, for the bristles readily deflect and easily yield to the envelop, as distinguished from latches, and

the like, which present an appreciable resistanee to the passage of the envelop. The saving in the amount of work necessary for the envelop to perform is important 1n itself, but of greater importance is the substantial reduction, if not the entire elimination, of the possibility of injuring the envelops or their contents. The brushes, furthermore, will operate efliciently on envelops of varying thickness, and it is not necessary to adjust the brushes each time a fiat bulky envelop is encountered. This feature is important in sealing machines, for the envelops to be sealed are quite likely to be of variablethicknesses and must be as successfully handled by the machine as those of uniform thiclmess.

Although the brushes 19 ordinarily prevent more than one envelop from leaving the magazine at a time, they cannot be-ex pected to prevent such action where, by reason of specially constructed envelops, the flap on one tends to catch in openings or ungummed seams of another. As to such problems, the cams 32 provide the desired solution, for they lift the stack free from the end envelop and so tilt the flap of the envelop adjacent the latter that such flap cannot by any possibility become engaged in slots or ungummed seams in the end envelop.

The two features of the invention, the brushes 19 and cams 32, thus each contribute to the main result desired, which is to prevent more than one envelop from being withdrawn at a time and to prevent such action despite the use of envelops of varying character. By providing the two devices, each may be designed most efliciently to perform its intended function, while if 'one, as the brushes, were to guard against all contingencies arising, the would have to be made not readily yielda le, to the end that injury to the envelops would result and that envelops of varying thickness could not be handled without frequent adjustment for such variations: Y

vThe invention has been disclosed in an embodiment, at present preferred, for the purpose of illustration, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is: 1. In an envelop machine, a magazine to receive and support a stack of envelops, means to successively withdraw the end envelop of the stack from the magazine, a de- ..vice mounted on the magazine and arranged adjacent the exit portion thereof, brushes carried by said device and arranged to prevent the removal of more than one envelop at a time, and rigid means on said device and arranged closely adjacent the brushes,

said last-named means being spaced from the envelop engaging portions of the latter sufliciently to permit the withdrawal of the end envelop and arranged to prevent deflection of the brushes by the engagement therewith of others than the endenvelop.

2. In an envelop machine, a ma azine to receive and support a stack of led envelops, means to successivel' withdraw the end envelop of the stack zine, spaced devices mounted on the magazine and arranged adjacent the exit portion of the latter, brushes carried by said devices and arranged to prevent the removal of more than one envelop at a time, and rigid means carried by said devices and arranged adjacent the brushes and spaced from the envelop engaging portions of the latter sufficiently to permit the withdrawal of the end envelop, said last-named means constructed and arranged to prevent others than the end envelop from engaging the brushes, and to engage the envelo s adjacent their corners only to permit ree passage of a filled and bulging end envelop;

3. In an envelop machine, a magazine to receive and support envelops in stacked relation for free angular extension of the flap of the end envelop relatively to its body, means engageable between the flap and body of the end envelop to withdraw the. latter from the stack, and means carried by the last-named means and spaced from its envelop engaging portion a distance substantially equal to the width of the envelop to move the stack away from the end envelop as the latter is withdrawn.

4. In an envelop machine, a magazine to receive and support envelops in stacked relation for free angular extension of the flap of the end envelop relatively to its body, means engageable between the flap and body of the end envelop to remove the latter, and means carried by the last-named means and operable as the end envelop is withdrawn to tilt the envelop adjacent to the end enom the maga- I velop to prevent the, flap thereof from catching on the end envelop and being carried therewith.

5. In an envelop machine, a magazine to receive and support envelops in stacked relation for free angular extension of the flap of the end envelop relatively to its body, means engageable between the flap and body of the end envelop to remove the latter, and a cam adjustably securedto said means and spaced from the envelop-engaging portion of said means a distance substantially equal to the width of the envelop, said cam adapted to move the stack away from the end envelop as the latter is withdrawn.

6. In an envelop machine, a ma azine to receive and support a stack of lled envelops, means to successively withdraw the naeema end envelop of the stack from the magazine, two spaced devices associated with the exit portion of the magazine and arranged one adjacent each corner of the forward edge of the envelops,brushes carried by said devices and arranged to prevent the removal of more than one envelop at a time, and rigid members ,carried by said devices and extending toward the envelop engaging portions of the brushes and terminating with edges inclined to the plane of such portions, the edges of the two members arranged to diverge away from said portions to permit a filled and bulging envelop to pass and to prevent deflection of the brushes by the engagement of others than the end envelop Wlth thQ brushes.

HARRY Y. ARMSTRONG. 

